The Great Gatsby
By F. Scott Fitzgerald
Scribner 1995
205 pages
My personal and much beloved copy
This is the third time I've read The Great Gatsby. The first time was in my junior year of high
school in my English class, like many other people. I bought my own copy and
read it again during college. Now, in my mid-twenties, I’m reading it as a part
of my effort to read one of Fitzgerald’s novels or short story collections each
month. Gatsby is a pivotal novel for so
many readers, the book that convinces people that books that are considered
‘classics’ or ‘literature’ can be accessible for everyone. I’m struck by
feeling as if I could write about this book for hours and wondering if I can
add anything to the conversation that hasn't already been said in the past 87
years.
As I read the novel this time around, I was struck by how
sparse this story is and how much it says in less than 200 pages. The story at
its core is a simple one: a man works for years to get the girl he loves, but
his quest ends in tragedy. But Fitzgerald weaves a relatively simple story, one
that has been in our collective psyche forever, and makes it so much more. He
explores the American Dream, what it means to be wealthy, the distinction
between being loved and being idealized, and the extent to which we can ever
really know another person. All of this is done to the tune of some of the most
beautiful language in the American literary cannon.
“Through all he said, even through his appalling
sentimentality, I was reminded of something – an elusive rhythm, a fragment of
lost words, that I had heard somewhere a long time ago. For a moment a phrase
tried to take shape in my mouth and my lips parted like a dumb man’s, as though
there was more struggling upon them than a wisp of startled air. But they made
no sound and what I had almost remembered was uncommunicable forever.”
What struck me most this time around was how beautifully
Fitzgerald writes about making our dreams bigger than they can possibly be. Gatsby
is a man with a clear goal: marrying Daisy. In order to do this, he works
(through honest means and suspicious ones) to become wealthy enough to take
care of the woman he loves in the manner in which she expects. From first
glance, this seems like an admirable goal. But the lesson in this novel, I
think, is to not have just one dream. Gatsby has nothing else in his life – no family,
no friends, no goals with the exception of a happy ever after with Daisy. Over
the years, he has made her into a woman so amazing that no mere mortal can live
up to the woman he has been dreaming about for so long.
There is a sense, throughout this book, of distance between
the characters. Some of it is physical – Daisy and Gatsby have been apart for a
long time. Some of it is mental and emotional. In spite of the fact that Daisy
and Tom are married, there are definite walls between them and each has given
their heart to another. I think Fitzgerald intentionally emphasizes this distance
by narrating the story through the eyes of Nick Carraway. He is new to the area and does not
even know who Gatsby is until they are awkwardly introduced at one of Gatsby’s
lavish parties. As Nick begins spending time with these people, he tries to get
to know them. But he finds it harder than he expected. Gatsby in particular is
seemingly unknowable, as rumors about him seemingly contradict each other and
the man in question does not jump to clear up the mystery.
The Great Gatsby
is a book that you can return to time and again, one of those stories that will
mean something different to you at different points in your life. If you haven’t
read it yet, now is always the right time. F. Scott Fitzgerald had a great gift
for mixing deep character insight with themes that still resound with the
modern reader and prose that might as well be poetry. There are many very good reasons that The Great Gatsby is an enduring
classic.
Being British, we studied mainly English Lit at school so I only read this book for the first time recently. I liked it, especially the beautiful writing, but think I would need to reread at some point to get the most out of it. I like your point about the distance between characters, it's something I noticed too, no one is happy.
ReplyDeleteAND - something strange happened with the hold list for Code Name Verity, I was 13 on the list but now I am number 1! Can't wait to get my hands on it :)
Hooray! I'm so glad you get to read it. We will have to compare notes. :)
DeleteRetired English teacher retreading this beautiful novel. Thank you, Lindsey, for the insights. And what a strong writer you are!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. Gatsby is such a wonderful choice for re-reading.
Delete"Rereading
ReplyDelete